Had my second hockey practice tonight. I improved significantly; of course, so did everybody else. I’d learn a new save, and they’d learn a new shot. The two forces worked to assure parity.

Afterward, I tried to cram my full hockey gear bag into the 5’s trunk. Push! Shove! Nuh-uh, that ain’t happening. Reluctantly, I eased the bag into the back seat and let my sticks ride shotgun. Since the gear was warm and wet, it instantly fogged up the car windows. D’oh! In response, I rolled down all the windows, opened the sunroof, and turned on the front and rear defrosters.

It must have been quite a sight for other motorists: a kid flying down the freeway at much-greater-than-legal speeds, with all the windows down (in 30-degree weather), hockey sticks in the front seat, and the entire back seat area consumed by a giant black bag.

Then again, this being the self-described State of Hockey, maybe nobody noticed.